Clipper Race - Re-masted Yachts Sail Out
The sailing vessels Durban 2010 and Beyond and westernaustralia2011 have departed from the Hawaii Yacht Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. Having made their final departure preparations this morning in pouring rain, the yachts are now sailing their way across the pacific with replaced masts. They are enroute to Santa Cruz California to join the other 8 sailboats competing in the Clipper 07-08 Round The World Yacht Race.
Five weeks to the day since westernaustralia2011.com lost the top half of her mast 700 miles off Japan, and after a mammoth logistical operation, both yachts left Ala Wai Harbor for the final part of their journey across the Pacific Ocean. They will motor sail to Santa Cruz in order to arrive in time for the start of Race 9 to Panama.
Skipper of westernaustralia2011.com, Martin Silk, said, “I’m very happy – it’s great to be getting back racing again. The boat’s ready, the crew’s ready, it’s been a great adventure but we’re looking forward to getting out there and back into the race.”
As they made their final departure preparations, Frank E. Lang, Commodore of Hawaii Yacht Club addressed both crews. “It is time to bid you farewell,” he said. “The misfortune that fell upon your rigging provided you with opportunities to demonstrate seamanship skills seldom used in modern sailing and to place yourselves in prominent pages of the history of modern yacht racing.”
He continued “Now you’re about to cast of for Santa Cruz. We shall miss your smiling faces and your cheerful laughter and our quiet little harbour will seem empty without you. You and the rest of the Clipper crews have been most excellent guests and, for that reason, we have instituted a new award for our club.”
Photo: westernaustralia2011 crew in Hawaii by Carroll Cox
The Commodore presented both skippers with the Corinthian Spirit Award for, “Contagious courtesy, comportment and camaraderie; exceptional enthusiasm, efficiency and effectiveness; and generous good cheer, good grace and good fellowship whilst overcoming outrageous and unanticipated problems of support, supply and vessel repair during the Honolulu stopover of the Qingdao to Santa Cruz leg of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race. Skipper and crew have proved themselves to uphold the highest standards and traditions of Corinthian Yachtsmen and Yachtswomen.”
Ricky Chalmers, skipper of Durban 2010 and Beyond said, “I’d like to thank Hawaii Yacht Club and your neighbours at Waikiki Yacht Club where we were initially berthed, and of course our friends at Magic Island Petroleum Fuel Dock for your generous hospitality during the stopover. We’ll certainly miss the steaks at your Monday night barbecue.”
Photo: Durban 2010 and Beyond Crew by Carroll Cox
For Race Director Joff Bailey and the rest of the Clipper 07-08 team, the departure of the two yachts marks the end of a massive international operation to variously source, manufacture, ship and fit masts, rigging and all the attendant parts necessary to repair and get the yachts underway again. Riggers, a mast builder and specialist machinery were flown out from the UK in order to work on the two dismasted yachts as well as replace some of the rigging components across the rest of the fleet.
Joff says, “I’m relieved we’ve managed to complete this operation successfully in such a relatively short space of time. I’m sure there were people who thought it couldn’t be done but it goes to show what teamwork can achieve – and it has been a whole team effort, from our fleet manager and finance director in the UK who have been sourcing supplies and arranging shipping to our highly skilled maintenance team who have worked relentlessly to achieve what many thought was the impossible. They are the best in the business. The teams from Spencer Rigging and Atlantic Spars have also gone above and beyond to build and fit these masts and rigging and we couldn’t have done it without Charlie and his team at Ala Wai Marine boat yard.”
As the two southern hemisphere entries did not make the start line for Race 8 with the rest of the fleet on Saturday morning due to the work on their masts, the Race Committee has decided the only fair way forward for all teams will to award these two the points associated with their average position for the previous seven races, rounded to the nearest whole position, and allow the other eight boats to race for full points. Durban 2010 and Beyond’s average position was fourth so they will get seven points, westernaustralia2011.com’s average position is sixth so they will get five points.
The eight teams who left Honolulu to race to Santa Cruz have been battling with strong headwinds overnight with most skippers reporting that they have reefed mainsails and small headsails up. It may be windy but the wind direction means that all the teams have made great progress towards Santa Cruz with most achieving nearly 200 nautical miles in the right direction over the last 24 hours. This will change in the near future as the winds again become more easterly and the tacking angles will become important again.
Photos of Clipper 07-08 Yacht Race for YachtPals.com by Carroll Cox Estudios Hawaii
Submitted By YachtPals on 10 Apr
clipper race, Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, Hawaii, Ala Wai, clipper 07-08, clipper, yacht race, sailboats, sailboat, boats, sailing
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Clipper Race Update
The Clipper 07-08 fleet continues to make good progress towards Santa Cruz, with 12-hour runs averaging 100 miles.
“Any time that you do not have the sail combination correct it shows up on the next schedule,” says New York skipper Duggie Gillespie, whose team has been nipping at the heels of leaders Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper since the start of Race 8; “Keeping us on our toes,” according to Hannah Jenner, skipper of the Scottish entry.
All of the crews are in competitive mode with their collective eyes on the podium places and the points that will help them towards their goal of lifting the Clipper Trophy when the fleet arrives back in Liverpool on 5 July as part of the city’s European Capital of Culture 2008 celebrations.
Skipper of Liverpool 08, Ben Galloway, says, “The weather’s looking good for the next few days and should provide some good racing. Nova Scotia must just be over the horizon and hopefully we’ll see them soon.”
Liverpool 08’s target, Nova Scotia, have their sights firmly set on the podium, according to skipper Rob McInally. “The atmosphere on board is good the attention to trim and course is high,” he says. “Speed is all that is discussed on deck. Below deck there are constant plans for progress north then east and just how we should interact with the expected weather.”
Jamaica is slowly moving up the field and it could be to do with the recovery from the seasickness that affected many of them across the fleet from the outset of Race 8. “They now hold conversations as opposed to sitting there with a face like grim death wondering if they will survive the watch without making an offering to Neptune. Yet every watch they are there doing their stuff. Now that is something to be proud of; they feel terrible but they still turn up for duty. Back in the real world I bet they would have phoned in sick…” says skipper Simon Bradley.
Having left Hawaii yesterday, westernaustralia2011.com and Durban 2010 and Beyond are keeping pace with the fleet – albeit four days behind them – and, as can be seen on the race viewer, are moving directly towards Santa Cruz. Martin Silk, skipper of the Western Australian boat says, “We have a wake behind as we bed in the new mast and commence tuning our rig. We are carrying extra fuel, making best speed to meet our new crew and be ready for Race 9. Spirits are high and we feel the battle is over for soon we will race again and seek new challenges ahead. The Hawaii support team has done us proud.”
The extended stopover in Hawaii enabled the crews to have a good look at the state of their sail wardrobe and spend some time on repairs. Several of the crews sought professional assistance in Honolulu. The rules of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race are designed to ensure the crews look after their boats and equipment for the whole of the 35,000-mile race and those who do not will be penalised by points being deducted from their overall score. The Race Director will announce the penalties for sail and equipment damage this week.
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